circa 2014
The Coronado Leather Story
The Coronado Leather Factory
since 1981
Coronado Leather is an American brand founded in 1981 by Carol and Daniel Laulom. At that time, leather handbags were in an upcycle that really started in the 70’s. We were buying leather and materials for handbags and contracting the labor for our own designs. Without the internet and (DTC) DIrect To Consumer models, we were selling our products in traditional channels such as trade shows, sales calls and traveling the country looking for retailers. The classic small American business. In the beginning, our entire offering consisted of women’s leather handbags. It was not until later in the 1980’s that we started to expand into leather cases, vests and jackets.
The early evolution of the brand was purely built on leather and price, with handbags starting at $25 wholesale. It was not nearly at the level we are today, but the foundation was started and our passion for creating and building leathergoods had just begun.
The Beginning
Through the late 80’s and into the 90’s, we started to expand our products in the niche, concealed-carry market. Making not only handbags for CCW, but waist packs, briefcases, gun cases, vests and jackets.
Their son Brent Laulom joined the company in the 1990’s, as the market grew and they began traveling to gun shows, leather shows and western events around the country. The evolution of the brand and the products continued to grow and Coronado Leather was known around the country as a premium maker of CCW leather products.
The Next Chapter
In 1999, Coronado Leather was officially incorporated in the state of California. Carol and Daniel Laulom retired and their son Brent took over the company and the daily operations. With a strong foundation in place, Brent had a different vision for the next 20+ years at Coronado Leather. Not long after, we started our first Made In USA products. We maintained our shop in Mexico for our jackets and vests, but out of a desire to have better control of our quality and capacity, we started making leather luggage products in our San Diego shop. It was a new chapter for the brand and one that allowed us to truly make our legacy stronger.
Made In The USA
Today, we believe that those four words mean more than ever. In a time when AI is the buzzword for business we are all about MI (manual intelligence). We are American craftsmen that still work with our hands all day in our San Diego, California leather shop. We directly employ a small, passionate and devoted team of men and women that build leathergoods from the hide to the hangtag. With borders fading and companies confusing consumers about the authenticity and origin of their manufacturing with marketing and labeling loopholes, we consciously come clean with no BS.
MADE FOR LIFE & BUILT TO LAST
All of our luggage, duffels, backpacks, messengers, folios, hard cases, wallets, belts and other bags are 100% MADE IN USA. Not only are these products made in our own small San Diego factory, but they are completely made here by our own employees 100% (start to finish). We don’t “partially assemble” our products in another country then attach straps or stitch a few panels to claim it is "MADE IN USA". We do this the right way, in respect to all the American manufacturers over the last few hundred years. The companies that came before us and laid the groundwork for us to make our legacies.
Handcrafted In Mexico
Vests & Jackets
Mexico has a long history in the leathergoods industry, with generations of artisans that have been working with boots, bags, jackets, vests and more.
Since our inception, we have designed all our vests and jackets in San Diego while they are 100% built in Mexico. We use our own leathers, linings, zippers, threads but with craftsmen that better understand how to make leather clothing than we do here. We work daily with our shop in Mexico (30 minutes from our San Diego shop), to ensure the quality, construction and designs are at the highest level.
What we make in San Diego, USA will be 100% cut, sewn and finished here and what is made in Mexico, will remain to be made there and marketed and labeled accordingly. This is a promise from us to all of our customers worldwide.
AN OPEN INVITATION
to visit our leather factory
I invite you to visit our company In San Diego, California. Our shop and our brand is open to you by appointment, where you can see us design and build our products daily. Hopefully this will give our customers a better perspective and appreciation for our craft and how we are building our American legacy today.
If you would like to visit, kindly call or email in advance and let us know when you would like to stop in. I am on the floor daily and will be happy to talk leather and show you the shop.
I look forward to meeting with you and sharing our passion for leather.
Brent Laulom
Designer & Owner | Coronado Leather